Hyundai Motor launches flagship EQ900 sedan
Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo, left, stands with Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, beside the EQ900 (globally called the G90), during a launch event at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, central Seoul, Wednesday. The first model under the company's luxury Genesis brand has been developed to target German carmakers in the upscale auto industry. / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor
By Park Jin-hai
Hyundai Motor launched its luxury flagship EQ900 sedan Wednesday, aiming to compete with German carmakers in the upscale automotive market.
The top-of-the-line sedan is the first model bearing the Genesis luxury brand. The EQ originates from Hyundai’s luxury sedan Equus being consolidated under the new Genesis brand.
Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo introduced the EQ900 as a model that will rival global luxury carmakers.
“The EQ900 is our premium model developed to target the global market,” he said during a launch event at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in central Seoul.
“Equipped with all the technology that we have accumulated, along with a top-notch performance and product quality, the EQ900 will compete squarely with global top-of-the-line luxury cars.”
Chung added that with the launch, Hyundai will raise its brand value and strengthen future competitiveness through securing state-of-the-art technologies.
“We will return the customers support with quality, while continuing to increase investment and employment in order to contribute to the national economy,” he said.
The EQ900 is the first mass-produced car with partially autonomous driving. It comes with a highway driving assist system which enables hands-free driving on highways as well as a lane guidance system and an advanced smart cruise control.
It not only keeps the distance from the car in front automatically, but controls vehicle speed by recognizing speed limits and risk areas for speeding through its navigation system.
Other features include blind spot detection, driver attention alert, autonomous emergency braking and high beam assist.
The nation's largest automaker has spent four year developing the top-of-the-line model. A special task force and 1,200 researchers tested the car on various road conditions at home and abroad.
Its body is tougher and lighter through the use of 51.7 percent advanced high strength steel, more than triple the previous 16.3 percent of its predecessor. The company said that it has significantly improved the car's strength to outside shocks.
Its interior is all about what the luxury car should be.
The vehicle has Italian leather covers on its seats and steering wheel, while hand crafted real wood trim and an analogue clock add its premium image. It also has Germany's AGR (Campaign for Healthier Backs) association certified seats, jointly developed with Seoul National University. It received the certificate following the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Volkswagen's Phaeton, according to the company.
Emulating first class seats on some aircraft, the seats can move to optimal positions after analyzing the passenger's height and weight.
In order to have soundless driving, the company applied triple weather stripping to its doors and used sound insulation glass, which is the first time for a domestically produced car.
The EQ900 comes with three types of power train ― the Lambda 3.8 V6, the Lambda 3.3 V6 Turbo and the Tau 5.0 V8. The Lambda 3.3 V6 Turbo engine produces a maximum 370 horsepower, with a combined fuel efficiency of 8.5 kilometer per liter. The 3.8 V6 engine can deliver 315 horsepower with a combined fuel efficiency of 8.7 kilometer per liter, while the Tau 5.0 V8 engine can push 425 horsepower with a combined fuel efficiency of 7.3 kilometer per liter.
The price of the luxury sedan ranges from 73 million won to 170 million won, around 5 to 10 percent more expensive than the previous Equus model.
Prior to the launch, Hyundai has already seen nearly 10,000 pre-orders for the car, reflecting customers’ high expectations.
Starting with the model, Hyundai will plans to develop a total of six Genesis models by 2020.